Welcome


Hello, my name is Dionne and I have been crafting for a very long time. As a very young child my mother tried to teach me to knit, it was a disaster. However, it must have sparked an interest in making things and, partly to prove that I was not totally useless and partly because I really wanted to make things, I taught myself to crochet. Over the years I have developed a love of cross stitch and all types of paper craft ..... I eventually even taught myself to knit.


I am married to a very understanding man, thank goodness, because I spend all my time either crafting, thinking about crafting or talking about crafting. I am hopeless at housework and dinner is often late!


Thank you for visiting my blog.


Dionne

Saturday 31 December 2022

Make a Big Wish

I have been playing catch-up with my posts for the past week but, unlike everything else, this card was only made a few days ago.

I made the card from a Hunkydory Adorable Scorable pack called 'Animal Crackers'.


I used one of the backing cards to make this card and added a framed image with 3D foam pads to raise it up.  The sentiment is from one of the other sheets in the pack.  

The weather was very dark and overcast at the time I made this card and all of the photographs I took at the time look equally gloomy, I do apologise


I am afraid that the flash has taken a lot of the colour out of this card too, which is so sad because the colours are actually very vibrant and jolly.  This Halloween card was made by my very good friend Mrs Beez and I have been looking for an opportunity to share it with you, I am sorry it has taken me so long.


This is another stunning card from Mrs Beez.  The photograph just does not do it justice, there are so many delicate layers of these beautiful butterflies and pansies.  To which she has added tiny little bees, a tiny organza bow and a multi-layered sentiment.  It is a card you really need to pick up and study to truly appreciate.

I should like to thank you for taking the time to visit my blog during the past year.  I know that it receives a lot more visits than comments but I know you are there. 

I want you to know that I truly appreciate every one of  your comments and all of the support you have given to me.  I should also like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a happy and healthy 2023.  May this year bring peace and contentment to you and your family.


Dionne

Friday 30 December 2022

My Very Lovely Friend

I recently wanted a card for a special friend and I actually went into a card shop and bought a card.  However, when I got it home I felt guilty about buying the card, so I set about giving it a make over.


I removed the front of the card and mounted it onto some pink coloured pearlised card and old gold mirri card and placed it on an 8 x 8 Craftwork Cards blank - which I had already coloured red with a Promarker pen.  I had some paper flowers which looked very similar to the flowers on the card, so I added a few of them to my design.  As a final touch I put some very small gold heart shaped brads in the centre of each of the paper flowers.

This post has given me that opportunity to share with you a birthday card I received from my dear friend, who is known to most of you as the Crafty Stamper aka Carol. Apologies for taking so long to share this with you.

The cornflowers on this card are the most stunning colours and it is all mounted and raised up.  Carol used Glossy Accents to give the water in the jam jar a wet look.  Sadly, as usual, my photography skills let me down and you really should take a look at in on Carol's blog because her photographic skills are so much better than mine.

More tomorrow.


Dionne

Thursday 29 December 2022

Little Knitted Onesie

Still catching up with things I have made during this year.

It has been quite a long time since I posted one of the adorable little Knitables toys like the tabby cat, which I posted last year.  Along with all of the animal patterns, Knitables also have a lot of clothes patterns. 

Including this cute onesie and teddy bear slippers.


I made the onesie out of King Cole's Cherished DK.


I have to confess that I actually made this little outfit some time ago and I not sure which yarn I made the slippers from ..... it was probably Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake DK.


They are so sweet but I found the yarn difficult to knit with because it is so fluffy I could not see what was going on, I just had to hope I was only picking up one stitch at a time!

I still have more cards and knitting to share, so keep an eye on this space.


Dionne

Wednesday 28 December 2022

What? Another Anniversay Card!

I realise that I have made several wedding anniversary cards this year which look very similar.  I confess this is because I rediscovered an old Kanban pack of papers I bought way, way back from QVC.  They are so lovely that I squirreled them away and never used them, but I recently re-discovered them!

I posted a card I made for my husband for our anniversary a few days ago.  The other two cards are posted here and here.  Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to find Wedding Anniversary sentiments and stamps?  I wonder whether this is due to the influence of other countries and perhaps they do not celebrate wedding anniversaries?

This card is very similar to the one I made for my husband.  Sadly, by the time I was making a card for him, this one was in the post, opened, sat on the side for a while and, no doubt, put in the bin!


These lovely cards and embossed with gold foil or black paint and, for once, the anniversary sentiment came with the card pack.  I added a few tiny flat backed gems to the design.

I think I only have a few scrapes of this heart design left so you are unlikely to see any more anniversary cards made from it.


Dionne

Tuesday 27 December 2022

Another Christmas Jumper

I thought I might try to use the next few days to try to catch up with some of my blogging.  I was busy last year but I hardly posted any of it.  Always full of good intensions, I photographed most of it and the photographs have just been sitting on my laptop ... waiting.

A couple of weeks ago I shared some photographs of a jumper and hat I had made for my youngest nephew.  As soon as his cousin saw the hat, she wanted one and being the lovely auntie that I am, here it is.


Being a little girl, I thought that she would love this purple sparkle King Cole yarn.


Unfortunately, I had the outfit stored in a bag for some time before I photographed it and it picked up a few wrinkles.


I wanted you to see the cabling close-up, I hope you can see the design.


Here's the hat she wanted so much.


I also made her some mittens with the a variation of the pattern.


And finally, to complete the set, a purple scarf.

This pattern is one of my ebay discoveries and it does not show the pattern make or number but I am fairly confident that it is a Sidar pattern because it recommends using Snuggly yarn.

I hope you have a wonderful day


Dionne

Monday 26 December 2022

Happy Anniversary to Me!

I have several cards and cardigans which I made during the past year but just never got around to posting them.  This is one of those cards.  Earlier this year I shared with you a couple of anniversary cards and then along came my own wedding anniversary.  Which is when I had realised that I virtually used up all of the beautiful paper and card I had been using to make the other anniversary cards!

I went back into my pack of very old Kanban Crafts papers and card to see if I could find any other designs which I could use.  The papers in this kit are all fabulous and I have been squirreling them away for a long, long time.

Most of these paper and cards are embossed with silver or gold foil but this sheet is embossed with black paint.  I folded a sheet of plain A4 card and cut three panels from the pretty card.  These panels were attached to the backing card, I added a couple of sentiments and a few flat backed gems from my stash.


You might be able to make out the fold a little better from this view.

I apologise for the poor photography, the gold foiling is very reflective, making the card hard to photograph.


Dionne

Sunday 25 December 2022

Hark the Herald Angel Sings

Happy Christmas.  I am not expecting anyone to actually read this today - in fact, I am not here either, I scheduled this post so I could relax with my faimily.

The following cards are all from the gorgeous Hunkydory Adorable Scorable kit called 'Christmas Classics', the individual sheet is called 'Hark the Herald Angel Sings'.


With is large image I thought less was more, it is such a stunning image,, it needed very little more to make it stand out.  I cut some of Stumpin' Ups Night of Navy card and  mounted it on some old gold card.  I added just the frame fro around the image onto the card and the raised the image up using Pinflair Glue Gel and added a Craftwork Cards sentiment.


Two of the smaller images on this card.  I placed them on some of the matching backing card along with some decorative trim.  I added a die cut trio of candles and a sentiment from Craftwork Cards.


Another of the images from this kit.  I added the decorative trim and the die cut candles along with the sentiment.


This final card.  I mounted this image on some old gold card and placed it on another backing sheet from the kit and added the sentiment, also from the kit.

No elves today, they returned to the North Pole last night.  Bye, bye for another year elves!

I hope that you and your family have a wonderful holiday, may the days be full of joy and peace be in your hearts.


Dionne


Saturday 24 December 2022

Winter Blooms

It's Christmas Eve.  I hope you are ready for the big day?  I had a last minute panic yesterday because I forgot to buy eggs but a quick trip to the local store and it was sorted.

The following cards are all from the gorgeous Hunkydory Adorable Scorable kit called 'White Christmas', the individual sheet is called 'Winter Blooms'.


These snowdrops are so pretty, I wanted to make something a little bit special with them.  I cut the A4 backing sheet into three and folded a plain sheet of card.  I carefully cut around the leaves so I could have them lapping over the circular design once I had mounted in on 3D foam.  I mounted this central panel on silver mirri card and attached it to the plain card.  Then I added a sentiment and a few flat backed gems. 


I had a lot of small elements left over after making the other cards from this kit.  I found a silver frame from another kit and place it on some of the backing cards.  I then added some of the circular elements around the frame like planets on an orbital course.


I made a simple stepper card with some of the backing card and added a large image of Paperwhite Narcissus.  You know Spring is on it's way when these little beauties raise their delicate heads.

I am feeling a little sad this morning because our elves Louis and Coco and Daisy, Danny and little Dot went back to the North Pole last night.


Oh look the tree Daisy and Danny left the children the night before has grown, what a cute looking tree.  It reminds me of a tree in a big garden I used to walk pass on the way to visit my grandparents when I was a child but I cannot remember it's name.


Daisy and Danny spent Friday just hanging around!


But last night they packed their bags ready to leave.


They left the children a note saying that they had to go but they had left them a present each.


Here are the presents they said they would leave and there is Santa taking Daisy and Danny back to their home at the North Pole.  Good bye little elves you have entertained us all month.  You shocked us when you were naughty and redeemed yourselves with your random acts of kindness.  See you next year.  Bye bye!

I should like thank all of you for taking time out of your busy days to visit us and leave comments.  I should like to wish you, and your families, a very happy Christmas.  Enjoy the holidays.

Dionne

Friday 23 December 2022

Santa's Sleigh Ride

As you know, if you are a regular visitor, all of my Christmas cards this year have been from one or other of the Hunkydory Adorable Scorable kits  This one comes from the kit called 'A Cuddly Christmas', the individual sheet is called 'Santa's Sleigh Ride'.


This card was nice and simple, all I needed to add to the backing sheet was a couple of die cut snowflakes and a sentiment, I am really pleased with this snowflake die set.


The next two cards are decoupaged.  I think it was intended that all the layers made up the one sleigh but it would have been so high that I decided to split it into two.  On reflection, I think I should have fussy-cut around the first layer.  Oh well!


Here is the other half of the decoupage.  Ho ho ho!

Elf Time!

Ow, now they want to play nicy, nicy!


They have bought letters from Santa and Christmas Trees.


Woo, Grow Your Own Christmas Tree!  How cool is that?

Back tomorrow.


Dionne


Thursday 22 December 2022

Forest Friends

You will be pleased to hear that I am getting towards the end of my pile of cards.  Today's group of cards are all from the Hunkydory Adorable Scorable kit called 'White Christmas', the sheet called Forest Friends. This was a sheet left over from last year when I made a card for my hubby (that gold Lamé bow would not stay stuck to that card, I guess it was too heavy, thinking about it, I was lucky to get the photograph before it fell off again!) .


Many of the images in these Adorable Scorable sets, including this one, are too large for what you might think of as a normal sized card.  I mounted this image on some of Stampin' Ups Mossy Meadow card and some sliver mirri card. I added a few Mulberry poinsettia flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and some silver organza ribbon from my stash.  All I had left to do was to stick the whole lot onto a Craftwork Cards 8x8 card blank.


This one was a simple 5 x 7 card with a few addition elements from the kit.

This is a silver mirri stepper card - which I made using a Presscut die.  Everything except the sentiment came from this lovely kit.

I have received a Christmas card, which I should like to share with you today.


It is from my old craft buddy Mrs Beez, the pair of us had many happy days working closely together on the Crafty Boots Design Team.  Those were fun days but I am not sure I could work under those pressures now.  Sadly, you cannot see the lovely twinkle this card has.

I cannot help myself, but every time I get to this point, I am reminded that the elves will be leaving us soon!

Now, I need to explain that this family have a cat called Izzy.  Izzy most certainly does not belong to the family, Izzy is very much the boss (and he is spoilt rotten).


I think these elves are pushing their luck trying to blame the cat for this lot and they better hide if they do not want to be sorted out for trying to fit up the cat!


Oh my, the toilet paper is everywhere!


Even the bathroom got a make over.


And just in case we were in any doubt of of who the elves want to put the blame on!

However, you may have spotted Izzy in the corner of that last photo.  Moments later he started to clean up the mess because he was not getting the blame for this!


Ha ha ha!


Dionne

Wednesday 21 December 2022

Another Twelve Days of Christmas

Oh dear, I thought I had made a note of which cards went with what Hunkydory Adorable Scorable kits but this one slipped through the net.  I think it was probably White Christmas or A Cuddly Christmas, whichever it was, it is called The Twelve Days of Christmas.


All of the elements on this card came in the kit.  All I did was mount the main image on some gold mirri card, popped it onto some of the backing card and added the small image and the sentiment.


All I added to this card was the sentiment, which was left over from one ot the other kits - waste not, want not!


Finally, this gorgeous, larger sized image.  The bigger images in these kits are all glorious but you need a large card to fit them on.  With this card I mounted the frame onto some blue card (I think it may have been Stampin' Ups Pool Party) and some silver mirri card before sticking it to an 8x8 Craftwork Cards blank. The main images I raised up with Pinflair Glue Gel and I added a sentiment from my stash.

Elf time, they are not going to be around for a lot longer .. makes me feel rather sad. 😞


Oh, they are feeding ducks.  I didn't know they had ducks in their garden ......


Ah, those kind of ducks, seems they have a lot of rubber ducks.  Wow.


I wonder how rubber ducks get on with bread?



Have a good day.


Dionne


Dionne